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Creating Contract Rate Schedule Templates

Contract rate schedule templates tell e-automate when and how much you want to increase contract base or overage charges. You create one type of contract rate schedule to increase base charges and another to increase overage charges. Contract rate schedule templates work in conjunction with both the base billing cycle and the overage billing cycle on the contract. For example, if you have a contract that is billed semi-annually for base charges and quarterly for overage charges, you would have to create two different rate schedules, not only because one is base and the other is overage, but also because in this example base and overage have different billing cycles.

When you configure a rate schedule template, you are required to match the billing cycle on the contract for the intended type, base or overage. When you create a rate schedule (either base or overage), e-automate allows you to select during which cycle the rate increase is applied. For example, assume you have a contract that is billed semi-annually for base charges and quarterly for overage charges. You could define in your base rate schedule (semi-annual) that you do not want to increase the rate every cycle, but instead increase every other cycle. This would mean that the contract base rate would increase after the second base billing or the second cycle. When the contract finally rolls around for the third billing, the new increased rate added after the second billing will be in place and charged on the contract. You can use this ability to configure rate increases every third, fourth, or any cycle configuration you want to create. This flexibility is available on both base rate schedule templates and overage rate schedule templates.

When you define a rate schedule you can define the rate increase as either a percentage of the previous rate or an absolute (fixed) amount. You could increase the rate by a different percentage each cycle, or by the same percentage with each cycle. You can also configure a different absolute amount or the same absolute amount during each cycle where there is an increase.

When you create a base rate schedule template e-automate allows you to define rounding rules associated with the template. On a base rate schedule template you can round the new calculated rate to $.01, $0.10, $1, $10, or $100. On an overage rate schedule template you can round the new calculated rate from one to six decimal places.

You can choose to create rate schedule templates for both base and overage and use them on contracts, or you can create new templates on each contract you create. If you choose to create templates to be used on contracts you will need to create base templates to match your base rate increase needs and to match any base cycles on contracts. Similarly on overage, you will need to create overage templates to match your rate needs and the overage cycles on your contracts.

Getting to the TransactionGetting to the Transaction

On the Tools menu, select Lists and Codes to open the Lists and Codes window.

In the Select a list or code type field, use the drop-down menu to select Rate Schedules.

Click [New] to open the New Rate Schedule window.

Basic InformationBasic Information

In the Schedule field, enter the name of the rate schedule.

In the Description field, enter a description of the rate schedule

In the Cycle field, use the lookup to select a schedule cycle.

Note: This schedule may only be used on contracts with matching cycles, either base or overage as defined in the Type field. Note that the Cycles column now reflects the cycle selected.

In the Type field, use the drop-down menu to select either Overage or Base.

In the Method field, use the drop-down menu to select Percentage or Absolute.

In the Round to field, use the drop-down menu to select your rounding choice.

Note: E-automate will calculate the new rate and apply the rounding rule you specify.

In the After cycle field, enter a cycle number to reflect when you want the increase to take effect.

Note: If you want the increase to occur every cycle, enter 1. If every other cycle, enter 2, etc.

In the Increase by field enter your increase percentage or amount.

Click [QuickAdd] to add the increase to the list.

Repeat Steps 5 through 9 to add rate increases.

To remove a cycle, select the cycle from the list and click [Delete].

To edit a cycle, do the following:

Select the cycle from the list. E-automate populates data in the Method, Round to, After cycle, and Increase by fields.

Make appropriate changes.

Click [Update].

Completing the TransactionCompleting the Transaction

Click [OK] to save the rate schedule.